[William9_17]

I'm wondering what everyones pet projects are as far as your commuter bikes go. What do you have planned? What are you day dreaming about when you're supposed to be working or doing something else? Hopefully this thread will help everyone get new ideas on thier builds.

I'll go first...

My commuter at the moment is a 2009 Motobecane Cafe Sprint. So far I've added -

- Topeak Moonshine HID Headlight

- Topeak Bar'n Mirrors

- Topeak Road Morph pump

- MTX E-Type Beamrack from my old mountain bike that I custom molded a CateyeTL-LD130 to and also added a Topeak DXP Trunkbag and MTX Dual Side Frames. I want to get a A-Type rack that'll go up and over my back wheel but I have to figure out how to not waist the work I put into the original one. I'm thinking about buying the new rack and then cutting and splicing them together.

- Planet Bike A.R.S Classic Saddle

I want to in the future add/change-

- Completely change out all the components to Shimano Deore XT series and switch from V-Brakes to Disc and get Shimano's Dual Control Shifter.

- Get a 700c supension fork from either SR Suntour, RSTor Marzocchi, Although if anyone knows a better brand for road forks I'd love to hear it.

- Get custom wheels built using Shiman Deore XT M-775-L Hubs, Sapim CX-Ray Sprokes(Black) - 32 per wheel in a 3 cross pattern using either Velocity's B$3 or Deep V rims(Black) with red nipples. Then to finish them off add Continental Top Contact 32c tires.

- Get two Delta Airzound Horns and customize them so they'll both run off of one bottle so I can place one on each side of my bars.

- Add extra lights to using the braze-on holes with either Cateye or Topeak lights. Also get another Topeak HID Light with helmet mount and add a red bungee Cateye light to the back of my helmet and Cateye's new Orbit lights to the wheels.

And finally...Well not finally because I'm pretty sure I'm going to think of other things to do LOL...I want to make a custom storage container that'll fit in the front triangle of the bike frame for tools and cell phones and such.

 

[ae111black]

If you are gonna be running those tires you can run any kind of fork and it dosent have to be 700c specific. You can run a 26" tire fork no problem! Especially because you are planning on disk brakes! For that frame I'd maybe run a 75-80mm fork but it might mess with the geo a bit you would have to do your homework on that!

 

[Gary the No-Trash Cougar]

I plan on upgrading my cantis to v-brakes sometime this year and now that I have work stand, the job should be a bit easier. Also plan on replacing the suspension seat post and cruiser saddle that were installed by the previous owner with a rigid post and more narrow saddle. If the tires wear out this year (and they probably will, but they still have a way to go) I'll definitely be replacing them with something fatter. Probably Big Apples.

 

[rodar y rodar]

W 9 17, it sounds like you`re having quite a party with your bike- hope you continue to enjoy dinking with it. Any chance you`ve got some more pictures of your custom rack/tail light mount? That sounds pretty interresting, but I can`t make out what you`ve got going on there from this pic. Oh yeah- is there a disc mounting tab on that frame or are you talking about a whole new bike?

Tires too skinny, Gary? Seems to me you already have 2.0 Serfa Drifters. Is that incorrect, or are you going even fatter?

My commuter is just about "done", if there is such a thing. The only addition I`d like to make is a headlight upgrade. I started working on a new tilting mounting bracket to aim the light up or down via stem mounted friction shifter, but that project got derailled and I don`t know if I`ll ever get back to it.

 

[Gary the No-Trash Cougar]

Tires too skinny, Gary? Seems to me you already have 2.0 Serfa Drifters. Is that incorrect, or are you going even fatter?

Right now I have Michelin Country Rocks, which are 1.75" wide. They've been a great tire on all but the loosest dirt trails. Great grip in wet pavement and fast corners, decent compromise between a fat and skinny tire, but I want something fatter with more cushioning so I can ride more aggressively. Also, right now I have a suspension seatpost for which I'm tuned the rebound down to prevent bouncing but it's also got a springer saddle which causes me to bounce and kind of wastes energy. I want to go with a rigid seat post and non-springer saddle which is why I want a fatter tire to compensate with more cushioning. Probably Big Apples, at least 2.0", 2.35" if they'll fit.

 

[mtbxplorer]

My commuter at the moment is a 2009 Motobecane Cafe Sprint. So far I've added - .....
.

Whats the boxy thing by your stem?

 

[slcrockymountainrider]

Last week I upgraded the headset on my 2001 Reynolds Steel, 'Made in the USA' Lemond commuter. Seems I throw money at it once every 4 years or so. The first round (2005ish) saw a new Ultegra crankset, a 105 rear derailleur, some low rise mtb bars and an Easton stem (24.5 old school size). Last week she got a new chrome Cane Creek S8 headset which replaced the stock, no name brand one.

As often as I 'flip' my mountain bikes, I don't have the heart to get rid of this thing.

 

[William9_17]

W 9 17, it sounds like you`re having quite a party with your bike- hope you continue to enjoy dinking with it. Any chance you`ve got some more pictures of your custom rack/tail light mount? That sounds pretty interresting, but I can`t make out what you`ve got going on there from this pic. Oh yeah- is there a disc mounting tab on that frame or are you talking about a whole new bike?

Tires too skinny, Gary? Seems to me you already have 2.0 Serfa Drifters. Is that incorrect, or are you going even fatter?

My commuter is just about "done", if there is such a thing. The only addition I`d like to make is a headlight upgrade. I started working on a new tilting mounting bracket to aim the light up or down via stem mounted friction shifter, but that project got derailled and I don`t know if I`ll ever get back to it.

Here's some pics...I am having fun with my bike. I'm contantly tinkering and my ltest project is grafting a Cateye TL-LD1100 onto a topeak saddle bracket for one of thier bags. I'll have to post thos pics but it's still be sanded and isn't finished yet.

 

[William9_17]

MTB it's the battery pack for my headlight...The entire headlight itself is all bulb and stuff...The things so freaking bright sometimes I get flashed by cars LOL

 

[CommuterBoy]

well mounted hydraulic disc levers on road bars is my latest obsession.

 

[KeylessChuck]

I can't say I sit around day dreaming about commuter bikes very often, but I am looking to try a Ragley Carnegie, or Misfit fu2bar this year. Looking forward to getting the Big Apples back on in Spring as well. LOVE those tires!